War Plans and Intelligence
gathering
Dougy set down the china cup onto its matching saucer and sighed pleasurably, leaning back in his seat and listened to the light classical music in the classy coffee house. He casually ran a hand through his considerably shortened blue hair. His delicate fingers rubbed the tips of his fringe and he laughed aloud. Silver tips! That Illumi sure knew how to change an image.
"I'm glad to see that you're pleased with your new look Dougy," Illumi said, the tight smile finally easing as Dougy finally gave his (affirmative) reactions to the last touches that made him street ready. Illumi could feel the heat of excitement in his cheeks and he knew he was looking at the man who would dominate the Autumn fashion catwalks and be elevated into the status of demi-god of men. The fruit of his efforts was blooming in front of him, like a lotus' velvet soft petals opening up to reveal layer upon layer of captivating beauty.
"You just keep smiling like that Dougy, and you'll have every teenage girl, woman, grandma and gay man chasing after you down the street begging for your hand in marriage. We're halfway there."
Hushed giggles followed by a series of excited whispers from a group of young girls eyeing them from the table not far away could be heard. Dougy blew them all a kiss and winked. He felt a small twinge of interest when the pale blonde one among them narrowed her eyes menacingly and deliberately turned away, urging her friends to do the same.
He laughed aloud again and took another sip of the tea, loving how there would be a refreshed taste in his mouth after flinching at the bitterness of the drink. It reminded him a lot of his ordeal - having shot to fame, been bought back down by infuriating carelessness and having slummed in the gutters and the downside of town for years, he was a new man again. The world was such a welcoming and livable place when everything was going your way and the girls blushed when you let your gaze settle on their faces. Dougy reserved his self-indulgence for later, in the private space of his own home where none of his more embarrassing exhibitions would come to light. He cocked an eyebrow at his hairdresser-cum-fashion designer.
"Let's get to the more important business. How was your time on location with Hisoka and the other actors? Did it go well?"
Illumi gave a vague nod and he looked elsewhere, a small frown of confusion on his face.
"I don't really know what happened - I've forgotten quite a lot of it. When I was back in Anime City, I found out that it was Thursday, not Wednesday. I lost an entire day and I don't even know where it went. A lot of clients were angry that I missed all my appointments with them, but that's ok. It's not like they can stay angry forever."
Dougy leaned forward with a solemn expression, chin resting on the back of his entwined fingers. "What do you mean? Like you don't remember?"
Illumi nodded again, biting his lips in helplessness. "Yeah, I guess so."
"You must have been celebrating really hard after your first shoot ever. I'll bet there were a dozen crates of vodka and you were so passed out that you slept through an entire day to get rid of the hangover," Dougy grinned, a small fire of playfulness flashing in his eyes and touching his lips. "So tell me, any...improvements on the Hisoka front?"
"I thought we weren't going to touch on that topic again," Illumi glared at him half-seriously, "If a man's smart, he knows a lost battle when he sees one and then picks himself up to pursue other channels that can also lead him to victory."
"Hey hey, no need to pull that proverbial shite on me ok. But if you think about it, a real man gets revenge for crimes committed against him. Isn't that what you're helping me to do now? Once I oust the Prince of Slime, Mr Ego Incarnate, the Narcissist of Anime City, my revenge will be complete and a chapter in my life will close so that I can move on. You need closure Illumi - even if you do decide that you don't want Hisoka after you have him, you still want the satisfaction of knowing that you denied those horrible women what they wanted most."
"That's disgusting!" Illumi's jaw hung open, wide eyes fixed on Dougy's cruel smile, "Have you ever considered Hisoka's feelings? Just because of revenge, I'll have to manipulate them to my own ends, and if I don't want him in the end, dump him and leave his heart in pieces?!" Illumi dramatically pushed up against the back of his chair as if he wanted to create more distance between himself and the calm, unruffled man seated opposite him.
"I know you're capable Illumi-san," Dougy sang, twitching his index finger in his face, "and come to think of it, hasn't Hisoka been rotten to you as well? Might as well shatter his hope to pieces and then grind them into the ground with your boot for a good measure."
"Ok - too many thoughts of revenge today for you Dougy. No more - that cruel streak doesn't suit the new you and it's going to scare the girls. Get rid of it. Now."
Dougy pressed the back of his hand against his forehead and cried out aloud in hurt for the whole restaurant to hear, "Oh, you do not heed the advice of your only friend Illumi. I'm injured by your words, stung by your rejection. Oh my thorny rose, my venomous beauty, thou art an ice maiden indeed!"
That finally did it. The eternal gloom that clung to Illumi like a sickness that could not be washed off had finally lifted with his bout of unusual melodrama. The more he looked at Illumi, the more he found a sweet young man not to be entirely innocent or vulnerable, but still with his fair share of fatal weaknesses.
Illumi started, aware of the stares from all the people and he forgot about being depressed, too occupied by the desire to run away from the uncomfortable atmosphere. He threw down some bills and grabbed Dougy Cameron by the arm, literally man-handling him out of the coffeehouse and out onto the streets of Anime City. His legs took him down three blocks and he didn't stop running until he realized that the scenery was entirely different and that he was now on the outskirts of the central Park with Dougy wheezing behind him, eyes wide and bulging.
The blue-haired man leaned on a railing, legs shaking and about to give way, lungs about to burst out of his chest as he gulped in mouthful after mouthful of sweet air.
"Jesus Illumi! We must have run a mile in less than four minutes just then!" he exclaimed in wonder of his surroundings. "Why the big reaction?"
Illumi mumbled something which sounded a lot like "I don't appreciate attention," but turned and headed deeper down the track into the park and the engulfing darkness. The gravel crunched eerily loudly beneath their feet and Dougy became slightly nervous at the way the shadows and dark patches were constantly shifting. In the night, he could hear the most infinitesimal sound - leaves rustling, the branches knocking against each other, the whooshing of the wind and the darting of small creatures and insects.
"Um...Illumi, I really think that we should - " turn tail and run back to civilization was what Dougy had wanted to say, but he was cut off by the vision of moonlight hitting the shimmering surface of the silver lake. Wow, he thought, I never knew that this place was so...
"Enchanting," Illumi finished for him and headed towards the small bridge. "I don't think many people know about this place because there're too many other distractions in Anime City for them to understand and appreciate the more simple things in life."
Dougy wasn't listening, "A good place to make a proposal," he mused, lightly testing the handrail for any signs of stinging coldness before wrapping his hand around it.
And suddenly, the echoes of owls hooting and the howl of some dog didn't seem so frightening after all. Dougy frantically studied his surroundings, realizing just how desolate the park really could be at night. An idea hit him.
"You know what Illumi, I think you're a coward - you can't face Hisoka, just as you can't face a handful of men and women staring at you in a coffee house. As much as I admire your skills of avoidance, some things cannot be avoided."
A force struck him on the chest with more impact than he realized and the sweet air that he had gulped down mere minutes ago was forced out. The rough ground dug into his back, the thin and flimsy material of his silk shirt unable to offer much protection as he lost his balance and fell backwards. His vision swam as he banged the back of his head violently on the concrete and for that he was glad he was unable to see the terrible anger on Illumi's face.
The lighter man possessed an incredible strength beneath that deceptively wraith-like body. Dougy was straddled; his chest struggled to rise under the man's weight and his wrists were pinned above his head. Alarm bells rang so loudly in his mind that he couldn't hear the sensible voice trying to talk about the steps of getting out of this situation alive.
"Please...don't rape me," was all he managed to wheeze with his eyes clenched and body taunt. He could feel Illumi's hot breath on his face and he mentally crossed himself for the violation.
Illumi was still for a moment, breathing harshly with Dougy fixed beneath him. The latter did not struggle and lay there stiffly, trembling now and then and flinching at his breath on his face. Fear, to be able to taste and relish on fear was the most intoxicating experience of all. For a fraction of a second, he had the terrible urge to hurt Dougy and see the fear fever bright in those eyes.
But the second passed and Illumi sighed, hopping back onto his feet and pulling the dazed man with him.
"Sorry," he managed to mumble but wouldn't meet Dougy's gaze. He fixed his inky black eyes on the shimmering surface of the artificial lake, hypnotized by the small ripples on the surface. He felt an understanding hand clap onto his shoulder and felt the other man step closer to him.
"I take it that I struck some chord," Dougy drawled, his arm now casually slung across Illumi's shoulders. "So, want to talk about it? Or would you knife me if I probed further?"
His partner shook his head, "No, I won't knife you, gees, you think that of me?"
"That look on your face just then suggested that you pulling a knife on me was a very real possibility." Dougy noted sourly, his free hand rubbing the back of his head that was still smarting from the pain.
Illumi turned to face him and Dougy only realized that their faces were only mere centimeters apart. In this clearly ambiguous situation, Dougy would have liked to back away but he saw something in Illumi's eyes. Naked steel? Raw ambition? Dreaded loneliness? Empty sadness?
Dougy had to break off the staring match after a minute with a defeated sigh as he let his sore gaze wander back over to the calm waters. He pulled Illumi closer to him still in the companionable sort of way and sighed exaggeratedly.
"I'm no mind reader Illumi and you're too complex to allow me to profile. I thought you were Mephisto incarnate when you made the deal with me back in my old apartment. If I weren't so desperate, I may well have thrown you out and continued to live in squalor rather than sell my soul.
"But now, I see you as just another hurt man licking his wounds and scared of whatever has hurt him but still brave enough to find other ways to make your dreams come true. Was it Hisoka? Or your female co-workers? Or is it something else altogether? The mind works in extraordinary ways Illumi, and your past experiences drastically impact on your character. We've been together for a month now Illumi, yet I don't have an inkling as to what your past is to create the man standing beside me and that frightens me because I've never met someone as unreadable as you.
"Be my friend Illumi, and tell me about yourself."
"And what would you do with this information?"
"Why, be a bit more sensitive in my choice of words next time so that you won't try to stick a knife between my ribs or smash my face in." Dougy winked, his silver tipped fringe likewise glinting in the wane moonlight.
"That's all? You won't use to it discover my weaknesses and plot my downfall?"
"Why should I? We're in the same boat heading towards the same objectives. Anime City rejected us and tried to exile us, but the harder they try, the more determined we are to stay and piss the people off, doubly so for those who don't want to see us."
"Revenge brings all sorts of people together, no?"
Dougy gave a bitter chuckle, "I guess it does."
"Revenge is also the reason I exist. Once my purpose is fulfilled, I will fade into the background and lie dormant until necessity beckons me once more."
"So..." Dougy worked his jaw and thought hard about how to phrase his question, "do I still call you Illumi?"
"I am Illumi."
"Then what's with all this fading into the background business?"
"I am Illumi. Right now, I'm currently exhibiting the extremes of what I'm capable of doing. When necessity says that I must damn my soul to fulfil an objective, I'm the personification of the capability to do what needs to be done. Most people never find this extremity, but then, I'm just a development of circumstance."
"So why do your female co-workers harass you? If you sound as capable as you profess to be, shouldn't you be doing something to alleviate your miserable position at Hunter Works?"
"I could, Dougy, very easily too. But know that I'm geared towards achievement and achievement for myself only. I know nothing else - humanity and compassion are foreign to me; I see friendship as something more worthless than the slime in the sewers unless it will aid me in achieving my objective. Mark my words - I will be able to get anything I want in the most expeditious way, but that - "
"Is often the most lonely path," Dougy finished in understanding.
"No, don't think of me like that. I don't understand pity and I can't appreciate it. And because I don't appreciate human feelings other than to manipulate them for my own ends, there is one gift that I cannot get this time."
"Friendship and acceptance."
"Yes - I could buy that, or obtain it by fraud and deception. But the immutable laws of the universe deem that friendship built on anything less than genuine sincerity won't last, and I know everything but that. I have never had to make real friends before."
"You are geared more towards destruction I see," Dougy commented lightly with a small smile on his face, hoping that Illumi would see the brighter side of his joke. Thankfully, he gave a small laugh.
"You're right. My qualities cannot build lasting relationships. Destructive...is a way to describe me I guess." he gazed a little gloomily at Dougy, "My life is changing, changing in ways which signal my end because humans were never meant to discover their streak of ruthlessness, let alone act on them. And because of that, I am scared. I don't want to end."
Dougy studied Illumi under the artificial glow of the street lamps as they traced their way through the park towards the main road and open streets. Now that he understood, perhaps only a little better, who Illumi could be, this other side of him was not so terrifying after all.
Man only fears what he doesn't understand...
He presented his designer a small, pressed smile and slowly slipped his arm around the latter's slim shoulders again. At first, it felt like he was approaching a wary and cautious animal whose fangs were barely concealed - much like moving into a new neighbourhood and the neighbour had a large dog trained to be aggressive to strangers. By the time they were out onto the streets, Dougy felt much more relaxed and he and Illumi were trading jokes and laughs. The raw harshness in his voice had ebbed away and it was now light and slightly melodious, pleasing to hear.
They weren't walking in any specific direction, more or less wandering around enjoying each other's company. Perhaps we could go to the coffeehouse again and see if I can pick up the blonde chick who deliberately turned her nose at me, Dougy thought with some relish. Integral Hellsing, hanging around with her snobby and tight-assed friends, girls notorious for being the biggest and nastiest gossips in town. She might have heard about his past by now, or perhaps her friends didn't recognize him in his new outfit.
"I don't know how many times you're going to hear this Illumi-san, but I love the hair. It's a bloody classic."
The big, black feline eyes silently moved over to those glowing silver tips and he nodded.
"I needed this change Illumi; for me to walk these streets again like a respectable human being. Life is not constant you know, and change is not such a bad thing. You shouldn't be afraid of becoming a new person."
"I don't want to become a new person," Illumi said bleakly, "I just want to be me. All my life, I've had to put on one act after another that somewhere along the way, I just disappeared amongst the many, many masks I'm capable of creating."
It took some time before Dougy could come up with a reasonable reply. "Just give yourself some time. If you consciously go about trying to 'be' you, it'll never work. Just act as your fancy takes you, respond as you will and if you're angry, show it; if you're happy, laugh; if you're upset, cry; if you're pissed off, throw a good punch."
"If it could only be so simple."
Dougy made a wry face, "Yeah, but if someone is really shitting you, deck them like you did with Darien."
"Oh don't remind me," Illumi groaned, burying his face in his hands, "my mother accosted me the moment I came back from my first shoot ever and demanded to know what the hell I was thinking when I planted my fist in that creep's face. Once again, she's been mislead by Anime City's newspapers."
"I'm just surprised that old Drosgen hasn't called the police or served you a writ yet. It's very unlike him to let these things get by him," Dougy's wry face deepened and he sniffed, "unless he's getting senile of course."
"Yeah," came the half-hearted response.
"I know ever since last month, Meryl Strife's popularity has soared. I managed to acquire a copy of Hanzo's anthology of newspaper clippings (the Perfect Edition) and even sent her a thank you card myself. I assume she's being swamped daily by batches of roses from men, and cards from women who've been victims to Darien's philandering. I'm thinking that the men will probably present you with a life size bronze statue in the next few days and plant it in the exact spot where Drosgen was downed."
Illumi passed him something small, a slip of paper that he couldn't' make out in the dark. When they stopped by the next street lamp, Dougy scrunched up his eyes to scrutinize the contents, then oogled.
"There's a much bigger version hanging in the cafe of Hunter Works. I'll show you on Monday - Hanzo developed it in black and white for the 'sense of nostalgia', and we all chipped in to buy a nice, brass frame."
"Illumi! This is a bloody classic! You could auction this and easily get over two million for it!"
He handed the small photo back to Illumi and watched him neatly tuck it back into his wallet. "It belongs to Hanzo - he took the picture, so I guess it's up to him to decide what he wants to do with it. I think he wants to put it on public display without admission, for the public good sort of thinking."
"A very public good." Dougy said, his grin stretched from one ear to the other. He gave Illumi's shoulder a small squeeze and they continued walking towards Elysian. Dougy recognized where he was now, and he mischievously noted that the coffeehouse was very near by. There was this piece of Bavarian chocolate that he wanted to try...
"ILLU!"
Dougy snapped awake out of his complacency and his eyes darted around the streets, ears alert to the loud shout. Dim shades of grey and black flashed through his vision until it finally detected a beacon of...aqua?
"Hisoka? That you? Dye you hair again?" he exclaimed, veering Illumi around to meet the man. The magician couldn't hide his own surprise at Dougy's arm around Illumi. Dougy thought that he saw a spark of ire in Hisoka being brutally suppressed. He tsked, but not loud enough even for Illumi beside him to hear.
This was going to be fun.
He pulled Illumi even closer to him to confirm his suspicions. When Hisoka's hurried steps towards him carried overtones of agitation and annoyance, Dougy knew exactly what he had to do.
"Well a good evening to you too Hisoka," he drawled, mercilessly letting his arm drop to Illumi's slender waist (to the latter's unease, which he thankfully did not show on his placid face), "Now what makes you go around shouting people's names in the middle of the night without a single regard to good citizens who might be tucking into bed already?"
Dougy kept his cool when the magician stalked right past him and made to snatch Illumi from his arms.
Not yet Hisoka; not so easy.
He placed himself in front of Illumi at the last minute and shook Hisoka's extended hand instead, his action signifying nothing less than a full-on challenge.
"Haven't seen you in a long time Hisoka; don't you have anything to say to an old friend?"
That did it. The magician's eyes finally deigned to rest on his face and he almost wanted to burst aloud with laughter at Hisoka's shock and amazement. The magician backed away from the pair, unable to believe his eyes and he even rubbed them for a good measure.
"Cameron?! Oh my - " he shook his head slowly from left to right, continuously retreating.
"Watch for the cars Hisoka," Illumi frowned, slipping out of Dougy's grasp and pulling his co-actor from the road that he had stumbled onto. Hisoka mutely turned to Illumi, desperately twining his fingers with the latter for some sign of understanding.
"Don't react like you've seen a ghost Hisoka," Dougy now said irritably, eyes steadily fixed on those entangled fingers, "I just got a new haircut, that's all."
That did it. With a little bait, which Hisoka instantly took up, his self-control slapped over his numbed shock and he was his cuttingly arrogant self again. Hisoka took another step forward, closing the gap between Dougy and himself and put on a haughty smirk.
"Well Cameron, I'm glad that you're ready to join society once more. I was worried about you."
You were so worried that you never called, Dougy wanted to add but he bit his tongue. He savagely forced his past to one side and made himself look right into Hisoka's eyes.
"Well yes, I'm going to hit the catwalks when Summer is over. Illumi has seen to that entirely. I'm going to be a star again."
Hisoka's jaw dropped. "Illu?"
"Why Hisoka, even I don't get to call him that. Is this a special privilege available only to flat-mates?" Again, he deliberately let his eyes fall down to their hands and raised on questioning eyebrow. Hisoka noticed and quickly disentangled himself from Illumi, flustering about for an excuse. Had they all met under different circumstances, Dougy would have thought the scene in front of him was cute.
But today Hisoka, I'm going to teach you that you should cherish something without having to lose it before you recognize your grief. You don't have to thank me; I owe this to Illumi.
Without giving Hisoka a chance to recover, he beckoned Illumi back to him (giving him a barely perceptible wink of mischief) and smiled hugely.
"So Hisoka, what do you want? Illu and I have places to be and things to do as well."
The magician gaped, then shivered into shocked which gradually twisted into anger.
"Emergency meeting. Kuroro has invited Illumi and I to discuss how we're going to deal with his dad. Once old Roderick can meet up with the Director to discuss the incident last week, Illu is as good as dead."
Illumi shared a smile with Dougy, "It looks like he hasn't gone senile after all, just waiting for Silva to come back from location. This can't be happening to me again - I don't want to make the newspapers anymore."
"Hark who's talking. You're always asking me to do something outrageous to get attention and here you - !! - why didn't I think of it sooner?!"
"Think of what?" Hisoka asked sharply, taking the chance to pull Illumi away from him, much to his landlord's annoyance. Illumi was starting to feel like he was being tossed around like a rag doll that no one wanted to touch. He could have struggled in Hisoka's grip but decided that it wasn't worth the effort. Rather, he gave the magician an irritated grimace and then wondered what suddenly got Dougy so excited.
"Lets go and talk in someplace private. I've just been hit with the most brilliant plan that's beneficial for me and can resolve dear Illu's problem as well."
Hisoka gave Cameron a scathing sneer, one intended to discredit and ridicule any idea. "If you hadn't interrupted, I was about to take Illumi to the meeting place where quite a few other conspirators have gathered and - what now?" his cell phone rang at the most inopportune time, interrupting a conversation that Hisoka thought was rather important.
"Yes?.....Sure, I don't mind her there so what's the deal?..."
After a few more 'uh-huh's' and 'all right' and the dejected groan, Hisoka's shoulders slumped when the phone ended and much of his energetic fervour had drained away.
"Looks like this emergency meeting's agenda has been changed and apparently I'm in the thick of it. Want to come along and listen Illu? We're calling pizza for supper."
They don't even realize that they're holding hands again, Dougy turned away trying to hide the amused grin he knew he couldn't get rid of, It looks like I don't have to work as hard as I thought to get this little message across.
"You guys go ahead then," he feigned a casual rejection in his voice that was intended to be half playful, "there's this girl who snubbed me at the coffee house before and I'm determined to exercise my new powers of attraction and see if I can pick her up tonight."
He made sure that he was already well in motion and at least five paces away before the pair could respond and he silently congratulated himself. Acting skills were still top notch and hadn't dulled during his years of internal exile.
Life was currently pretty damn good.
And now - to get back at his arch nemesis: Darien von Drosgen.
* * * *
Illumi acquiesced to Hisoka's suggestion and soon found himself trailing behind the magician who was curiously silent throughout the journey. He rubbed his forehead; this was idiotic - one moment Hisoka acted like he owned him and now he was presenting him with his cold, hard back. He must still be feeling awkward about the little fight Illumi solemnly concluded, his inattentiveness nearly causing him to hit a pole. Hisoka stopped him just in time and made a small noise of exasperation.
"Can't I let you walk without having to hold your hand?" he humphed, holding his hand again for the third time that night and dragged him down the quieter parts of suburbia. Hisoka was avoiding the main road, but Illumi couldn't help but notice that he was being led in the direction of the west.
"And we're going back to our place - security's top notch there so we won't have any unexpected visitors," Hisoka began to explain, picking up on his thoughts, "Kuroro thought this little meeting was a good idea, I couldn't agree more. Wing was the first to be invited - he's a smart man, only that he doesn't want to show it. Hanzo and Paku have their invaluable intelligence network and Legato has been invited too - he's one of the best positioned actors in the Ex Club who also happens to despise the slimy worm."
"I sense a big 'but' coming - please spare me the suspense."
Hisoka turned around, irritation just about to ooze from his pores. Illumi wondered if the magician was just particularly touchy tonight.
"You're quite right," he said through clenched teeth, "Legato has bought Machi along, which is ok, but his supposedly non-existent other sister is with him too. Leona has come out of Northside."
Illumi waited for a full minute, expectantly waiting for Hisoka to finish but was only met by silence. He gave his own agitated sigh.
"I'm sorry, but was I supposed to see any significance in the last bit of information?"
"My cousin is Leona's boyfriend. They were all part of SNK; the studio was stuck by madness and their last project was never completed as some of the actors lost control." Hisoka let out a shuddering breath, steeling himself to continue. "Iori, my cousin, was at the head of the mess, leading the rebels. He was the first to break his contract and run into Northside and then a handful of other actors joined him. The story is that it was all the drugs and partying and alcohol, substance abuse because they couldn't handle their sudden rise to fame."
A lot like you actually, Illumi thought but had enough sense not to say aloud. The magician sounded sincere for once, like he was actually troubled and hurt, deviating far from his usual flippant and arrogant character for Illumi's liking. Mildly troubled by this change, Illumi trotted faster and kept his pace beside Hisoka.
"My aunt means a lot to me, and I owe a lot to her. Iori's almost like a younger brother because we both grew up together. It's my fault he turned bad - if he didn't have such a worthless cousin who set such a bad example, he would be famous by now and his face plastered on every billboard." Illumi inaudibly gulped at the pain as Hisoka's hand around his pitilessly clenched tighter and tighter. The magician didn't notice his discomfort, too caught up in his own guilt. "I was the one who let him stray too far and lost him to the shadows. I just had to get into a fight with my aunt over petty, petty matters and move out so that I couldn't keep an eye on him anymore - "
"Each human has his own consciousness and free will. In the end, his choices and actions are his and his alone and he can blame no one for any ill or misfortune that befalls him."
Hisoka turned on him so fast that Illumi had no time to jump back and adopt a defensive position. He heard something crack, perhaps his fingers crushed in Hisoka's hand, or maybe Hisoka's sanity giving way. But Illumi fearlessly and infuriatingly calmly gazed back into Hisoka's furious face and his unshakable calm alone caused Hisoka to doubt many things.
"Stop berating yourself over something you had no control. If Iori was three, then yes, you deserve a good lashing with a cane - I'd give you the lashing myself. But we're talking about a grown man here, a man who has a mind of his own. It's always easy to blame the world and everything it holds for all your failings and problems when the real cause is actually yourself."
Illumi cocked his head to one side and smirked at Hisoka's stunned expression.
"What? You expect me to pity your cousin? Feel sorry for his current predicament - one which you believe he wouldn't have fallen into had you been around? Don't think so highly of yourself Hisoka. Like you could compete with an individual's stubborn will."
"If this is your way of comforting me, I advise you that you're going about it in the very wrong way," Hisoka growled, abandoning the fight and reverting to him at the front pulling Illumi along like a mother with her disobedient child. "True, I might not have been able to control the way Iori thinks and acts, but I think I could have easily had a hand in controlling the people he comes into contact with."
Hisoka suspiciously glanced behind him once more to see if Illumi had anything else to add but the black-haired man innocently shook his head.
"I don't think SNK's corruption was natural at all. I think it was a deliberate set-up or attack and Iori and his friends were the victimized pawns of some sick game going on all around them. They were blind to their own imminent destruction, caught in a web that they couldn't see and someone has used him, stripped him of his dignity and reputation and screwed with his mind. If I ever find out who did this to him, I'm going to smash his face in, break his arms and legs and do quite a jig on his ribs."
They were at the entrance to Andelain Towers before Illumi pulled Hisoka to a halt, wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. He finished with a warm hug and murmured quietly into his ear: "It's not your fault."
Illumi had only ever comforted Karuto
before and knew no other ways to console people other than to treat them
like he would his little sister. He had done all he could and he steered
Hisoka towards the gold and marble elevators.
* * * *
Kuroro nodded to Wing when the doorbell rang and the man wordlessly stood up to see who was at the door. When he gave Kuroro the thumbs up, Kuroro assented to the door being opened and Hisoka and Illumi strode in. He gestured for the new comers to take a seat on the chairs that had been positioned around the small coffee table in the living room as the couch had been dominated by other visitors already.
There were two extra faces here tonight that Kuroro did not expect but with practiced ease, he put up his actor's mask of impassiveness and nodded as the gathering was complete.
"Karasu and Lola came only five minutes ago. It seems that Legato has decided to invite them over to discuss a new and urgent matter," Kuroro immediately began when they were all seated. His eyes were lined with worry and his eye bags told of many fitful nights in which his dad constantly rang him up demanding answers.
"Originally, I had convened this meeting to think of ways to deal with Darien's problem - "
"Dougy's working on that already," Illumi supplied quietly, accepting the cup of tea that Hisoka poured for him. "Even if he didn't, I think I should deal with my own problems myself. I don't want to drag any other people down with me."
"Kind thought, but if it's Darien and my dad teamed up, then we're all in this together. However, as I was saying, it's pretty clear that we have another matter to deal with, as you notice that Leona is once again a part of us."
Everyone's eyes went to the woman who had Machi's trademark spunky blue hair but also had Legato's impressive height. Her hair looked like it had taken a good washing and was loosely tied back at the nape of the neck with a black ribbon. She wore a modest white shirt and a clean pair of dark blue jeans, demonstrating just how long and fine her legs have always been.
"She's not a circus freak, so don't stare," Kuroro raised his voice once more, rounding the attention back to him. "Before we get to the details, I'll just give the brief summary: there has always been some rough and informal status quo in Northside with the various factions and gangs inside too preoccupied with locking horns against each other instead of taking over Anime City. The south of Northside shares a border with Anime City, and that's the area which concerns us the most. Incidentally, the southern area of Northside is also where Iori and other rebel actors have established their base."
"It's more at the center of Northside now," Leona shifted uncomfortably on the leather couch, clearly unaccustomed to such luxuries, "we progressed towards the middle about six months ago after a winning a gang war and we just collect protection money from the south now."
Machi shuddered at the thought of bloody fights and the lawless lifestyle that her elder sister had endured for two years. Her hand unconsciously went out to hold her sister's rough and harsh ones and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"Northside is ok, once you understand the unspoken laws - but whilst we fight and kill and commit robbery and murders, there's still a feeling that some crimes are just wrong. Miss Lola would know a lot about that."
Karasu's wife stirred uncomfortably and didn't try to hide the fact that she was reluctant to be at the meeting. Her sapphire blue eyes narrowed and she exuded an aura of murder when Leona hinted at her shady past. The innocent knife that Lola was using to cut the pieces of fruit was suddenly out for blood. Karasu hastily pried the knife out of her hand. She ignored his actions and trained her disarming glare at the other Northsider seated opposite her.
"If you must bring up my past affiliations against me, then I have nothing to say. My thieves guild had firm opinions about honour and integrity. We kill, we steal, we rob, but our targets are always strong and capable people, never helpless or defenceless. We won't touch anyone we consider to be innocent and unarmed children are not to be harmed. We fight, but we believe in fighting the fair fight between equally matched opponents. Any fight that does not meet this condition is shunned and we entertain no respect for person who emerges victorious."
"In short, you pick on people your own size," Hisoka said, doing his best not to fidget in restlessness, "But how does this relate to my cousin?"
"If anyone wants to be respected or admired in Northside, yes, you pick on anyone your own size. Anything less will earn your utter humiliation and disrespect." Lola crossed her arms and sank back into the couch with a condescending snarl on her face. "Let me guess, Iori has departed from this most basic principle?"
No one could look Lola fully in the face when her expression became ruthlessly stony. Leona shied away from the heartless gaze but managed to squeak out a 'yes'.
"So what kinds of actions are despised in Northside then?" Hanzo asked.
"It's the same as the unspoken laws of jail: pedophiles are at the bottom of the food chain, followed closely by serial rapists, baby murderers and abusive husbands. Iori hasn't married yet, so that strikes out the last alternative, meaning that he's committed either pedophilia, started a brothel in Northside using women who have been kidnapped from their rightful homes and forced into the prostitution or he's into killing babies. Which is it?"
Still unable to meet her gaze, Leona closed her eyes and shivered uncontrollably, "All of the above," she whispered. But Lola was unfazed; Her features hardened impossibly and she conducted herself like the executioner who was receiving her next order of victims. She was neither angry nor upset, distressed or repulsed - she merely took in Leona's words with horrifying calm and calculation.
"So Iori's sunk to the lowest of the low," she spoke before Hisoka could get his word in, and one menacing and severe gaze from Karasu told the magician to let his wife extract all the crucial details first. "But that only means other gangs are going to get rid of him soon. It happens all the time in Northside - how's any of this my problem?"
"I told you," Leona now defiantly met Lola's eyes, "I told you that I saw your brother with another woman talking to Iori before he went and did those crazy things!"
Both Legato and Machi had to hold down their sister from grabbing the nearby plates and hurling them at Lola, who was still unperturbed and her dead eyes never let a shred of emotion show though.
"Salar's the one who drove Iori insane?!" Hisoka shouted, ripping himself away from Illumi's restraining hands and jumped straight at Lola. Karasu leapt out of his seat and tackled Hisoka mid way, violet eyes flashing with anger. He grappled Hisoka to a standstill, causing the cutlery on the coffee table to clatter as their knees knocked against it in the struggle.
"Lola will wipe the floor with your face!" he roared at the magician, showing an uncharacteristic bout of emotional outburst, "I know you're angry - fuck Hisoka! I'm bloody angry too, but hear out the rest of the story first before you attack anyone! It might be one misunderstanding!"
"It was him!" Leona cried above Karasu's raised voice, "I know what I saw. It was the devil you call your brother who gave Iori all those ideas."
"Leona, did you manage to catch any of the conversation?" Kuroro asked, playing the impartial judge in this argument. It had a limited calming effect in that at least everyone stopped what they were doing and waited for Leona's answer.
"Well...no, I was too far off to hear..."
"And were you equally as far off to mistake the person as my brother?" Lola said with unparalleled contempt.
Leona gritted her teeth, "No, I saw very clearly and besides, I've never met Karasu or Salar before yet I instantly thought your husband was him!"
"All I know is," Lola continued as if Leona never spoke, "is that my brother has a lot of enemies in Northside and it certainly wouldn't surprise me if someone was pretending to be him to pass on more blame to a person already thoroughly disliked. Or, you could just be part of some devious plot to lure my brother back into Northside so that the gangs can ambush, and consequently kill him."
Machi was clinging with all her strength to her tall sister, but the woman found a new source of energy from her rage. "I'm NOT part of any plan to get at someone I don't even know! I'm here because Iori is killing off those closest to him! He's gone insane and I have no place in Northside anymore! The man I saw. was. your. brother! That's all I can say."
Lola was still unconvinced, not to mention slightly bored. "You still haven't given me concrete proof that it was Salar who drove your brother insane by merely talking to him. Your flimsy evidence does not sway me. Is this what I've cancelled my evening plans for? To listen to the insulting accusations of a woman who can't even place the right emphasis on the right syllables?"
"Your thieves guild has the best information network in all of Northside," Leona whispered, too distraught to argue anymore. "You go and ask them if your brother has been running around in Northside and causing trouble. They would know."
There was a long silence.
"I can't," Lola finally sighed and turned to the window that gave generous view of Anime City's night lights. The lights were like sparkling pin pricks spread out below her in a glorious map of red, white and yellow. But far off to the north was a foreboding darkness that no light escaped from. Her old home, Northside.
"I haven't gone back ever since I got married and had Kay."
"If we find that it's Salar's pulling all the strings behind the curtains, then you can surely ask him to reverse the damage. We don't give up on actors in Anime City Lola, why don't you try?" Kuroro suggested, taking the middle path again.
Lola's voice was testy when she finally spoke again, "You guys don't seem to understand that I'm no longer part of Northside. I gave up my mentor, my guild and all my guildmates to get married and I can't just rock up at headquarters after a decade and say: hullo, think you could spare some information? Gees - they see me as some sort of traitor already but aren't heartless enough to hunt me down, that's all."
Hanzo and Wing had been busy whispering vehemently. The bald ninja gave Wing a nod and turned to Lola "Have you tried hacking into your guild's network? We've got Shalnark at Hunter Works who seems to treat firewalls as sponge cake."
"Illumi's brother is also a computer expert," Hisoka automatically added. Illumi drew back on his seat in alarm, distressed that he was being dragged into a problem that didn't concern him in anyway, let alone drag his brother into it. Northsiders were scary, don't mess with them in any way. Full stop.
Karasu still had more to say. "Supposing that this is all of Salar's handiwork, we're overly optimistic here to think about reversing any damage before we even know what has been done. Give us all the details Leona - I'm sure Hisoka also wants to hear what his cousin has been up to. If what Iori has done cannot be amended, then leave Lola out of this once and for all."
So over tea and pizza and a few slices of fruit, everyone tuned in to a tail of horror and misery, about a man who was once ambitious and charismatic who met the wrong people and descended into the depths of insanity. They heard about a man who had adopted a taste for human blood and flesh, who had no qualms about profiting from human misery, and who had himself taken a cruel delight in human suffering. By the time Leona had finished talking about the trade in sex slaves, mugging children from the streets and the torture chambers that Iori had set up, Paku had run off to throw up whilst Kuroro and Illumi had to strap Hisoka down from trying to slit his own wrists.
"He's breaking every rule and crossing every boundary," Leona's recounting of the tales of terror had reduced her once more to sobs, "as I left, I even heard him raving on about taking over Anime City. He fears nothing and is not afraid of sinking any lower. I....can you guys can do something about it?"
"I could give the police a warning. Kanon's in charge of patrolling the northern tips of Fortune's Park so he should be able to keep a lookout for suspicious activity. Do we still need to consider the extent of Salar's involvement?" Kuroro gave every the questioning eyebrow.
"Yes," Hisoka growled, "I might have a score to settle with him, even if he can't clean up the mess."
Everyone was sympathetic to Hisoka's current feelings, even Lola. She was the first to find some excuse to leave and Legato and his siblings quickly followed thereafter. Hanzo let Paku lean on him as she unsteadily wobbled out of the apartment and after a few more words with Kuroro, Wing also left.
Kuroro regarded Hisoka in his volatile state, bound up in all of Illumi's measuring tapes. He would have felt more at ease if the magician gave off some expression of grief or anger, but ever since they tied him up, he put up his walls and allowed no one to look inside.
Illumi sighed crossly as he tipped the last of the dirty plates into the dishwasher. He washed his hands, dried them, then stalked over to his CD player and plugged a CD in. (**)
"You're going to get some sleep tonight Hisoka, and in the morning, you're going to ring your aunt and tell her all that's happened. I'm not going to let you sit up all night festering unhealthy thoughts of pain and revenge."
Hisoka bitterly glared at him, "And how are you going to make me sleep?"
"You'd be surprised," Illumi coolly replied, taking a seat beside the magician and pulling his head into his lap to the latter's protest.
"I leave Hisoka to you then. Don't let him do stupid things. He's a stupid man sometimes." Kuroro said as he left the apartment, soundlessly pulling the front door close behind him. He could still hear the melancholic melody, muffled slightly, but nonetheless rightly reflected everyone's mood that night.
Illumi withdrew a small glass bottle from his pocket and eased some clear liquid onto his index fingers. A strong smell of eucalyptus hit Hisoka's nostrils.
The lights around him dimmed until the entire apartment was dark and the only lights came from those outside. Illumi's lap was warm, and his fingers firmly worked away on either side of his temples rubbing small and sensuous circles that eased away the tension building up behind his eyes. He was being lulled into a sleep-inducing relaxation and he did not attempt to run away when he was untied.
Illumi unbuttoned the rest of his shirt revealing his bare chest, faintly glowing a pale ivory in the moonlight. One hand glided over to his abdomen and likewise began to massage away the knot in his stomach. Hisoka sighed and closed his eyes, snuggling closer to the source of warmth. He felt Illumi's hot breath beside his ear.
"You have to prepare yourself," he murmured.
"Prepare myself for what?" he mumbled back, half asleep already.
"From Leona's account, your cousin has turned into a monster. He's no longer the young man you used to know. You have to brace yourself for the possibility that from this moment onwards, Iori could be killed by other gangs, or prepare to destroy him yourself."
Hisoka couldn't summon the will the argue. His determination and steel eluded him as the music washed away his resistance and Illumi's ministrations on his body rendered it soft and inert. All he could do was weakly say "He's my cousin."
"No Hisoka. He's a monster."
Two minutes later, Hisoka fell into
the realm of nightmares but there was always a singular point of warmth
and sanctuary that he could run to. He held tightly onto the small spark
of light in the darkness and was determined not to let it go.
* * * *
Leona poked Machi to get her attention. Legato was driving and the two Bluesummers sisters sat at the back, brooding about the events of the evening.
"Machi dear, that long haired man
who came in with Hisoka - I've seen him in Northside before."
Author's note:
(**) Access the piece here
Login address: hunter_fiction@yahoo.com.au
Password: hunterworks
The piece is located here: www.naxos.com/scripts/newreleases/naxos_cat.asp?item_code=8.110827&memberID=95725
It's Symphony No. 3 in F-major,
Op. 90 by Brahms - 3rd movement (Poco Allegretto).
A smartie to anyone who can tell
me which anime also used this melody!
REPLIES
DemonDeranged: Hey! You get an award for being the first to
notice something between Lola and Salar! And yeah - I kinda thought that
Leona and Machi have similar hairstyles and all, so hey, another sibling!
Yukitsu: Kay is Salar's son?! No no - Salar is single, not married
and hates women. Kaery is Karasu and Lola's son...and Karasu
is Salar's twin brother. But yeah, Kay is very intelligent, so people make
a lot of comparisons between him and his uncle. Kay is brattish, but Salar
is evil.